Tiger Owl

Chapter 252 The Double Agent
A quarter of an hour later, Wang Xiaoman reported to Gan Ning, who pondered for a long time before asking, "How long has Zheng Zhao been in contact with him?"

"When they first met, Zheng Zhao's wife was seriously ill and needed money to buy expensive medicines. Wang Yao would often send him some medicines, and that's how the two got to know each other."

Did Zheng Zhao know that Wang Yao was Cao Cao's intelligence agent?

"We don't know yet. Wang Yao is very cautious. He said he would let Zheng Zhao accept a large sum of money and gradually sink into it before he would confront him and force him to submit. This is just the beginning. Zheng Zhao has not yet fallen into the trap, so he will not expose himself."

Gan Ning nodded. "Take Zheng Zhao away secretly. Take him away tonight. Interrogate him thoroughly. Find out what military secrets he knows, then tell him the truth and see his expression. Release him before dawn tomorrow and make sure he doesn't say anything."

After a pause, Gan Ning continued, "As for Wang Yao, we need to turn him into one of our own. I need him to provide intelligence to Cao Cao."

"I understand the humble position!"

Wang Xiaoman bowed and then left in a hurry.

Gan Ning walked to the window with his hands behind his back, squinted at the sky. Zheng Zhao was promoted by Lu Su and was Lu Su's confidant. He was involved in all kinds of important meetings and even confidential documents. What a close call!
Gan Ning pondered for a moment, then pulled the rope. Ma Liang strode in, "Please give your orders, Lord Chu!"

"Go and invite Military Advisor Lu here!"

Ma Liang turned and left. Gan Ning took a deep breath. He decided that he should explain this matter to Lu Su and not hide it from him.

Before long, Lu Su rushed over and said with a smile, "I reckon it must be something important."

Gan Ning nodded, "Strategist, please sit down first!"

A sudden unease arose in Lu Su's heart; an intuition told him that something was wrong.

Gan Ning sat down in his seat, pondered for a moment, and then asked, "What kind of person is Zheng Zhao?"

Zheng Zhao? His most trusted right-hand man.

Lu Su nodded. "He is exceptionally talented. Although he comes from a humble background, his knowledge far surpasses that of most sons of noble families. Moreover, he is steady in his actions and considers everything very thoroughly. He is worth nurturing."

What is his character like?

"He was a very good person, resilient and self-disciplined. He once possessed tens of thousands of dollars in wealth, but he never sought any personal gain for himself."

Lu Su grew increasingly uneasy and asked in a low voice, "Zheng Zhao... what happened to Zheng Zhao?"

Gan Ning nodded. "Cao Cao's intelligence scouts are approaching him."

"Oh no! How could this happen?"

Lu Su was stunned. He immediately asked anxiously, "What exactly happened?"

Gan Ning then briefly recounted the discovery of Cao Cao's intelligence spies, adding, "Currently, Zheng Zhao is unaware that Wang Yao is Cao Cao's intelligence spies, but Wang Yao has already exploited his weakness. His wife is seriously ill and needs expensive medicine, but he cannot afford it, so Wang Yao is prepared to give her three hundred taels of gold."

Lu Su was speechless for a long time. Suddenly, he slapped his forehead and blamed himself, saying, "I didn't know about his family situation. I shouldn't have done that!"

Lu Su raised his head again, his face earnest, and said, "He hasn't made a mistake yet, isn't it still possible?"

Gan Ning understood what Lu Su meant by "it's not too late." He nodded. "I will protect him, but we must follow the rules. The Imperial Guards will question him tonight, but they won't let his wife know. If he is indeed trustworthy, I will arrange for him to use a counter-strategy."

Lu Su nodded and sighed, "I haven't cared enough about my subordinates."

As night fell, Li Qun and several of his men knocked on the gate of Zheng Zhao's house. Zheng Zhao's house was an official residence covering two acres, located in the east of the city, and was very quiet.

Before long, the door opened, and the person who opened the door was Zheng Zhao. He was about thirty years old, very thin, and had a gentle and refined temperament, but there was a deep sense of fatigue between his brows and eyes.

He was taken aback when he saw that it was actually Imperial Guard soldiers outside. "You..."

Li Qun said calmly, "I am Li Qun, the head of the Inner Guard. We are investigating an important case, and there are some things we need you to confirm. We hope you can cooperate with our investigation."

"Of course you can, but..."

Zheng Zhao glanced back, somewhat hesitant. "My wife has no one to take care of her tonight, and I can't leave. Could we reschedule for tomorrow morning?" "If the Imperial Guards take you away during the day, it will cause unnecessary gossip and damage your reputation."

"But my wife needs to take her medication at night, and I really can't leave."

Li Qun hesitated for a moment, then finally nodded, "Alright! Then we won't go to the Inner Guard; we'll question you at your home."

"Please come in!"

Li Qun led his men into the courtyard, told them to wait there, and then went into the study with Zheng Zhao.

Li Qun sat down, and Zheng Zhao wanted to pour tea, but Li Qun waved his hand, "No need, I'm not here as a guest."

Zheng Zhao had no choice but to sit down opposite him, looking at Li Qun with unease.

Li Qun asked, "We've checked your security classification; it's Level B, which doesn't match your position. Do you understand why?"

Zheng Zhao nodded. "I am Lu Junshi's assistant. All the top-secret documents he has signed are given to me for filing. Although my position is not high, I do have access to top-secret documents."

Li Qun quickly wrote it down and then asked, "Now I need to ask you some personal questions. I hope you can answer them truthfully."

Zheng Zhao nodded silently, and Li Qun asked, "What illness does your wife have?"

"My wife's health was damaged after a miscarriage, and she has been bedridden ever since, requiring long-term medication."

"Do you have a kid?"

"Yes! I have a son who is ten years old this year. My wife has been seriously ill recently, so I have temporarily entrusted my son to his grandfather's care."

"Is your wife's illness very expensive?"

Zheng Zhao nodded slightly, "Every time she falls ill, she needs ginseng to keep her alive. But ginseng is so expensive that I can't even afford one root with my monthly salary. I'm already penniless. Fortunately, a friend gave me two ginseng roots in an emergency, which saved my wife's life."

Who is this friend who helped you?

"He's the owner of a pharmacy."

"How do you know the owner of this pharmacy? How long have you known him?"

Zheng Zhao hesitated for a moment, "Is there something wrong with this pharmacy owner?"

Zheng Zhao was also somewhat uneasy. Although Manager Wang was very loyal, even the most loyal person would not give away two ginseng roots at once. However, he was anxious to save his wife and could not worry about this unease for the time being.

"Zheng Congshi, you haven't answered me yet."

Zheng Zhao could only nod and say, "A month ago, my neighbor told me that the medicine at Jichuntang was cheaper, so I went to Jichuntang to buy medicine. That's when I met Manager Wang of the pharmacy."

"Does he know that you are an aide to Military Advisor Lu?"

"The second time I went there, he asked me where I worked, and I told him the truth."

"Then you hit it off immediately, and he was very generous and kind to you!"

Zheng Zhao shook his head. "I wouldn't say we hit it off immediately, but he is indeed very generous and righteous. Is there something wrong with him?"

"You also feel there's something wrong with him?" Li Qun asked rhetorically.

Zheng Zhao sighed, "I feel he's being too generous. He actually gave me two ginseng roots. Each ginseng root costs at least five strings of cash! I've been wondering about this for the past few days. Why is he being so extravagant? He must have some ulterior motive."

Li Qun solemnly said, "This Wang Yao is Cao Cao's intelligence agent. We arrested him this morning. He confessed that you are his target and he is prepared to bribe you with three hundred taels of gold."

Zheng Zhao stood up abruptly and said coldly, "Do you think my conscience is so cheap? You think you can buy me with three hundred taels of gold?"

(End of this chapter)